พระอาจารย์อธิบายว่าผู้ที่ละโลกไปสู่ภพสว่างมักตื่นเต้นกับภพใหม่จนไม่คิดถึงเราตลอดเวลา จะรับรู้ก็ต่อเมื่อบุญที่เราส่งไปปรากฏขึ้น การอุทิศบุญที่ดีที่สุดคือการดำรงตนอยู่ในศีลธรรม หมั่นให้ทาน รักษาศีล เจริญภาวนาให้ถึงพร้อม แล้วนึกถึงมหาปูชนียาจารย์ท่านจะช่วยส่งบุญไปถึงThe teacher explains that those who have passed into a bright realm are often too absorbed in their wondrous new existence to think of us constantly — they become aware of us only when merit we've sent actually reaches them. The truest way to dedicate merit is to live a life grounded in virtue, generosity, and meditation, then call to mind the great masters, who can carry that merit through.
A student whose mother had guided her toward merit, raised her, and brought her to the temple and the teachings, had lost her mother before her time. The student asked how to properly, according to the teachings, dedicate as much merit as possible to repay her mother's kindness — and whether her mother could perceive or rejoice in that merit, and whether they could still communicate mind-to-mind if her mother now dwelt in a bright realm.
Those Who Have Passed On Are Not Always Thinking of Us
The teacher explained, drawing on what their late great teacher once shared, that those who pass from this world into a bright realm are usually overwhelmed with wonder and excitement at the far better existence awaiting them there, and rarely give much thought to their past life. Time in that realm also passes very differently — far more slowly than in the human world — so what feels like a mere moment there may correspond to many years passing here. This means our departed loved ones are not constantly thinking of us; they become aware of us specifically when the merit we dedicate to them actually manifests and reaches them.
Dedicate Merit by Living a Life Grounded in Virtue
Because our mother gave us life, she naturally wishes for us to become noble and good — and that nobility can only be built on and . We should therefore keep ourselves grounded in moral conduct: keeping the Eight Precepts when the opportunity allows, and at the very least maintaining the Five Precepts every single day. The difference between someone who keeps precepts and someone who does not is immense — without precepts, one feels hollow within; with precepts, a stream of merit flows continuously through . The Eight Precepts carry even greater power than the Five, better able to shield the mind and purify it from both unwholesome and neutral influences, though they demand greater and effort — the merit gained is correspondingly purer as well.
When we keep precepts continuously, day and night, our whole being begins to shine, and we become able to dedicate merit at any moment — whenever our mother comes to mind, we simply dedicate merit to her right then, while also calling to mind the great masters, who can carry that merit through to her even in realms our own merit might not directly reach.
Give, Keep Precepts, Meditate — and Perfect Every Form of Merit
Beyond this, we should give according to our means, help those in distress, keep precepts, and meditate — encompassing the Ten Bases of Merit: giving, virtue, meditation, humility, service to others, dedicating merit, rejoicing in others' merit, listening to Dhamma, teaching Dhamma, and forming right view in line with reality. All of these are already woven into our daily life. This also includes the Ten Perfections: giving, virtue, renunciation, wisdom, effort, patience, truthfulness, resolve, , and equanimity.
For meditation to progress, we must refrain from indulging in the five sensual pleasures — sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch — so the mind can enter progressively subtler inner dimensions. Once we enter that inner dimension, we connect with the inner knower, who guides us toward understanding the truth of life, giving rise to a clear vision of a bright future, and the inspiration to keep developing our life for the better.
All of this — the perfection of giving, of virtue, and every other perfection — ultimately depends on of heart and sincerity. These two qualities are what allow our perfections to advance quickly. When giving, virtue, and meditation are all fulfilled in this way, we will truly be able to help our mother. If she now dwells in the heavenly realm, and looks down to see this, nothing could bring her greater joy — there is no joy greater to a mother than seeing her child become a good person.